I don't know the meaning of 'of' in this sentence (also in the picture):
My job: to take that most precious of gifts you give me –
I think that 'to take that most precious gifts you give me.' is good enough.
But why does the sentence above obstinately include the 'of' in the sentence?
What is the difference in meaning?
Best Answer
This usage reflects a somewhat "elevated" style.
Normal: the most precious gift
Elevated: this|that|the most precious of gifts
The elevated version means "Of all possible gifts, the one which is most precious". There is no gift more precious than it, the most precious gift in the whole world.
The normal means "the most precious gift of the (limited) set of gifts under consideration". The most precious gift of those gifts, but not necessarily of all gifts.
Moreover, the demonstrative that assumes (rhetorically) a universal consensus of opinion on the matter.
P.S. I do not take "you give me" as a restrictive clause here.
P.P.S. Let me try to explain my P.S.
I understand the noun phrase "that most precious of gifts" to be actually this:
that most precious [gift] of gifts
The determiner that determines the nominal "most precious [gift] of gifts".
What about "you give me"?
If you give me restricts "gifts" (gifts you give me), because of the present tense the reference would be to gifts that could be given at any time, from time to time, the one you are giving me now, those that have been given in the past, and those that are yet to be given. Since we cannot single out an acknowledged superlative ("that most precious") from a set that is not yet complete and bounded, "you give me" cannot restrict "gifts". It can only restrict "most precious [gift] of gifts", which is a bounded set with a single member: the best of the set of all possible gifts.
Now, if it had said "that most precious of gifts you could give me" or "that most precious of gifts you could ever give me" or "that most precious of gifts you have given me" or "that most precious of the gifts you give me", then it would be bounded, and it would support selection of the best from that bounded set, and "you could give me" could restrict either "gifts" or "most precious [gift] of gifts".